Georgia Tech is getting $3.1 million from the U.S. Department of Energy for research and scholarships focused on nuclear energy. The Obama Administration is handing out a total of $47 million to 46 schools across the country.

Daniel Poneman , U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy, says $3.1 million will go to research projects at Georgia Tech focused on developing new and advanced nuclear reactor designs and technologies, while addressing their cost, safety and security.

The money will also fund research examining new fuel and core designs as well as two undergraduate scholarships and three graduate student fellowships.

“We now have seen the Vogtle Plant obtain its NRC license. The Sumner plant in South Carolina is getting licensed, so we already see that kind of new build. And obviously you want to always make sure you’ve got next generation people coming up.”

The funding is part of the Nuclear Energy University Program.

Tags: Georgia Tech, nuclear energy, Plant Vogtle, U.S. Energy Department